Report: Mitsubishi Working on Electric Truck

Remember when Mitsubishi announced that it wanted to lead the market in electric vehicles? It’s still working at that goal, and new reports suggest the company could be readying a new electric light truck for commercial use.

As of now, the truck has no name and no specifications, but the Nikkei has reported that the truck will debut some time early in 2013. Unlike Mitsubishi’s earlier EVs, including its i minicar, this one looks like it’ll be focused more on the commercial market. The Nikkei reported that the car will target people like farmers and contractors.

To entice farmers and contractors, Mitsubishi hopes to keep things both simple and inexpensive: it’s targeting a price of $19,200 after Japanese government rebates, which would undercut the i–America’s cheapest all-electric vehicle– by around $2,000.

This isn’t Mitsubishi’s first dalliance with an electrified commercial vehicle. In fact, the company showed a commercial spin-off of the i-MiEV, dubbed the i-MiEV Cargo concept, at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. Although seemingly ideal for in-town deliveries, we’re not sure an extended-wheelbase i-MiEV is what contractors and farmers are looking for, even in Japan. We wouldn’t be surprised if this new vehicle is an all-new design – perhaps even an electrified Kei-class pickup truck, even.

Likewise, we wouldn’t be surprised if Mitsubishi doesn’t bring this vehicle to North America. Mitsubishi has pledged to develop eight electric vehicles by 2016, but officials have indicated not all will be sold in our market.

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